Hugh Bryan Hester
Hugh Bryan Hester
Born(1895-08-05)August 5, 1895
Hester, North Carolina
DiedNovember 25, 1983(1983-11-25) (aged 88)
Asheville, North Carolina
AllegianceUnited States United States of America
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of service1917 - 1951
RankBrigadier General
Battles/warsWorld War I

World War II

AwardsSilver Star
Croix de Guerre
Legion of Honor
Spouse(s)Pauline Hester Green

Hugh Bryan Hester (August 5, 1895 – November 25, 1983) was U.S. Army Brigadier General. He was a decorated officer in both World Wars. Later in life, he was a noted critic of U.S. foreign policy.

Education and career

Hugh Hester was born in Hester, North Carolina, and attended the University of North Carolina, graduating in 1917. Hester enlisted in the Army during World War I and became a second lieutenant in the 12th Field Artillery of the 2nd Infantry Division. In 1918, he was promoted to captain and participated in the occupation of Germany in 1919. He was wounded in action and was awarded the Silver Star and the Croix de Guerre.

After the war, Hester worked as an ROTC instructor (1924–1928) at the University of Missouri. In the 1930s, he joined the Quartermaster's Corps, working in New Mexico, and gaining the rank of colonel. A career officer in the army, he served under General MacArthur in the Pacific Theater, in supply and procurement (1942–1945). After the war, he became chief of the U.S. Food and Agriculture Program in Germany. This led to the award of the French Legion of Honor. In 1947-48, Hester was appointed the military attache to Australia. He worked as commanding General of the Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot until his retirement as a brigadier general in 1951.[1]

Later years

After retirement from the Army, Hester studied at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Pennsylvania, and George Washington University, in the areas of law and international relations, but did not earn a degree. Hester was an outspoken opponent of U.S. foreign policy for the remainder of his life.[2] In the summer of 1957, he took a 12,000 mile trip through the Soviet Union. He met with Nikita Kruschev and advocated for peace in letters to the New York Times multiple time.[3][4] In 1959, he published a book, "On the Brink", with sociologist Jerome Davis. It expressed concerns about the Cold War and suggested that new U.S. policies were needed. Hester was a common speaker at peace rallies in the 1960s and authored many opinion and editorial pieces. He was a special correspondent for The Nation, The Churchman, and U.S. Farm News, as well as a speaker on the lecture circuit. General Hester was designated the honorary commander of a Vietnam Veterans Against the War protest march in 1970.[5] In 1971, he published "Twenty-Six Disastrous Years" which criticized U.S. foreign policy. Hester argued for disarmament, weapons control, and world government.[6]

He was one of the signatories of the agreement to convene a convention for drafting a world constitution.[7][8] As a result, for the first time in human history, a World Constituent Assembly convened to draft and adopt the Constitution for the Federation of Earth.[9]

Personal life

Hester was born in Hester, North Carolina on August 5, 1895 to William Alexander Hester and Marietta Bullock (Hester). He married Pauline Hester Green in 1935. She died in 1980. Hugh Hester died of cancer at Oteen Veterans Administration Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina on November 25, 1983.[1]

In 1987, his estate endowed the Hester Center of Peace and Justice at Mars Hill University.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 Flint, Peter B. (1983-11-26). "HUGH B. HESTER, RETIRED GENERAL WHO OPPOSED COLD WAR POLICIES". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  2. ↑ HESTER, HUGH B. (1957-01-17). "Letters to The Times; Need for Coexistence Seen Acceptance of Other Peoples Held to Be Basic Policy..." The New York Times. p. 28. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  3. ↑ Hester, Hugh B. (1958-02-16). "REPORT ON RUSSIA". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  4. ↑ HESTER, HUGH B.; Gen, Brig; Army, U. S.; Ret (1960-08-21). "'LOGICAL'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  5. ↑ "Vietnam Veterans Against the War Operation RAW (Rapid American Withdrawal)". University of Washington Digital Collection. Archived from the original on 2023-06-30. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  6. ↑ "Collection: Hugh Hester Papers | Special Collections and Archives". public.special.clemson.edu. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  7. ↑ "Letters from Thane Read asking Helen Keller to sign the World Constitution for world peace. 1961". Helen Keller Archive. American Foundation for the Blind. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
  8. ↑ "Letter from World Constitution Coordinating Committee to Helen, enclosing current materials". Helen Keller Archive. American Foundation for the Blind. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
  9. ↑ "Preparing earth constitution | Global Strategies & Solutions | The Encyclopedia of World Problems". The Encyclopedia of World Problems | Union of International Associations (UIA). Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  10. ↑ "Hester Center for Peace & Justice". Mars Hill University. 4 September 2017. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
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